Well, it certainly doesn’t feel like spring at the moment. However, it’s always important to be prepared and never more so then when trying to sell your home.
Many estate agents suggest that vendors should undertake an ‘MOT’ on their property before selling – I agree. And here are my top 10 tips:
First Impression – This can be make or break. If a potential purchaser is put off before entering the front door then it’s over before its begun. Take a look at the outside of your home as a stranger might see it. It might be nearly Spring but for a small sum or some time and energy you could tidy the garden, paint your front door and get a sale.
Odour – It may seem trivial but the aroma of your house is really very important when you are selling. A simple diffuser discretely hidden in the lobby could do the trick. Some people prefer the smell of coffee and home baked bread but be realistic. It could take a few weeks to sell your home and you cannot be there ready to turn on the bread maker at the drop of a hat.
Tidy – Be obsessive about this, as it is make or break to a prospective client. My advice is to have a seriously good clear out before you put the house on the market – even if you bundle up your prized possessions and take them off site. Prospective buyers want to see clean lines and uncluttered work surfaces that create a feeling of space.
Clean – Fresh, sparkling and inviting would be perfect. Hard to achieve when you have an active life with pets and children, but the cleaner your house is the easier it is to sell.
Temperature – Heating houses is an expensive business. However, taking a client into a house that has sat empty for the weekend without the heating on is going to put them off instantly – keep your house ticking over at a pleasant 15° C – it will mean that I don’t shiver round the viewing.
Animals – People’s pets are much loved by the owner but very often just the owner and not necessarily the person that is going to buy the house. Pets also can have quite a strong odour, not to mention the litter trays, food bowls and clutter that goes with having an animal in the house. Try to keep pet evidence to a minimum.
Bathrooms – Generally I don’t advise sellers to refit a bathroom prior to sale – unless it is really ghastly. Do the obvious instead – re-grout, re-silicon, fluffy towels, pleasant scent, clean and spotless please.
Kitchen – Spare a thought for me as you dash out of the house without loading the dishwasher! I really want to take pride in your home when we show clients around and leftover breakfast is not the first thing they want to see as they enter the kitchen.
Problem areas – It is possible that you have a part of your house that you would rather not draw attention to, perhaps somewhere that is mid repair. My recommendation: don’t put the house on the market until it is in tiptop condition. Make it your problem, not the client’s.
Brief the agent – The more I am prepared to answer questions about your home the easier it will be to sell it and allay any fears that prospective buyers may have. As an estate agent I dislike not having the answers. And I particularly dislike not knowing how your gadgetry works, what the code is for the gate, where the garage door flicker is or if you’re in an Apartment building, what number your car space is so please do show me how. If I make it look easy the clients will love it. If I don’t know how it works, where it is or what the code is, then they won’t.
Tim Groves
Black Grace Cowley
tim@blackgracecowley.com
(01624) 645555
